Last



Sept. 22, 1936. B, HADAWAY $054,935

LAST

Filed March 6, 1955 wqllltllld Patented Sept. 22, 1936 LAST John B. Hadaway, Swampscott, Mass., assignor 7 to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,631

Claims.

The present invention relates to lasts, and particularly to separable lasts, the heel parts of which can be removed from shoes made'on them without disturbance of their foreparts. It is a ""pr1ncipal object of the invention to provide for the use of separable last heel parts made of cast or, molded material having superior advantages as regards cheapness and strength, as compared with wood. v

I have accordingly provided a strong, light, metallic heel part frame adapted for the casting or molding of a body thereon having the desired heel part contour, comprising a heel plate, a bonding plate for carrying bonding means between the heel part and the forepart, and a thimble. Preferably the heel plate and the bonding plate or joint face member are formed of one piece of steel and the thimble is integrally mounted thereon.

The invention also provides a novel, strong, simple and easily operated bonding mechanism readily permitting the detachment of the heel part from the forepart, without disturbance of the latter when in a shoe. This bonding mechanism comprises a plurality of headed pins on the forepart cooperating with slots in the heel part bonding plate, and a simply operable locking member for properly holding the headed pins in the slots. This locking member is automatically operable in fastening the last parts together, and is operable by the operator only when they are to be separated.

These and other features of the invention comprising certain combinations and arrangements of parts will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of the last;

Fig. 2 shows the forepart bonding mechanism;

Fig. 3 shows the heel part frame; and

Fig. 4 illustrates the unlocking of the last preparatory to the separation of its parts.

The forepart, IU of the illustrated last has a block I2 let into its joint surface l4 and fastened in place by pins H5. The joint surface I4 is plane and extends downward and backward. The block I2 is cast around two pins 18 each -having a projecting head or button 20. The embedded shanks are smaller in diameter than the integral knurled collars 22 and are thus held firmly in the cast block. The knurling of the collars also tends to prevent any looseness. Other constructions for fastening the pins in the block are feasible, but the one illustrated is satisfactory.

The block l2 also carries a spring-pressed plunger 24 projecting beyond the joint face l4 and having shoulders preventing its ejection from the front of the block. 10

The heel part frame comprises a heel plate 26 formed integrally with the bonding plate 28 as by a suitable stamping operation. This member is preferably formed of steel. The bonding plate 28 has two keyhole slots 30 stamped in it and is also provided with lugs 32, 34 stamped out perpendicular to its plane. These lugs engage and hold the heel part body 36, which is cast or molded on to the heel part frame. The heel plate 26 also carries a flanged collar 38 rigidly fastened to it, as by spot welding, and the thimble 40 has a tight driving fit in this collar. The bottom piece 42 and the space plate 44 are driven into the bottom of the thimble and the latter member and the heel plate have registering holes 25 at 46 for a tack plug. The thimble 40 is ovoid in cross-section, as explained in United States Letters Patent No. 1,436,065, granted November 21, 1922, on the application of L. E. Topham.

The last isassembled by putting the heel part 30 and forepart together with the heads 20 in the larger, lower ends of the slots 30, and pressing the last parts together. At this time the plunger 24 rests against the tongue 48 between the slots and is forced back into the forepart against the 35 pressure of its spring. The heel part is then slid downward over the face l4 until the shanks l8 of the buttons 20 slide into the upper, narrow ends of the slots 3|], thus locking the heel part and forepart together. locking plunger 24 slips out into the lower end of the upper keyhole slot 30, thus preventing reverse movement of the heel part. This plunger 24 is tapered so as to bind against the sides of the slot 30 in order to take up any variation in 45 the width of the slot. The last parts are thus firmly locked together.

To take the last apart it is put on a jack having a jack pin 50 (Fig. 4) and a sliding plunger 52 is operated by a lever 54, crank arm 56, link 50 At this time also the 40' 58, and lever 60, to push the plunger 24 back into the forepart below the edge of the plate 28. A second lever 62 may then be used to operate a plunger 64 to push the forepart in the direction toward its tread face to release the buttons 20 from the narrow ends of the slots 30, permitting the forepart with a shoe on it to be taken away from the heel part, the angular position of the plane I4 permitting the last to shorten as the forepart moves. The jack illustrated in Fig. 4 is not my invention and is not claimed herein.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A separable last having an upwardly and forwardly extending plane out between its heel part and forepart, each said part having an integral metallic plate in its secant face, one er' said plates having a plurality of keyhole slots located one above the other, and the othersaid plate having a plurality of correspondingly lo-- cated pins projecting from its secant face, and

a locking member slidably located in one of said it, one above the other, and a resilient tapered locking plunger projecting therefrom, a plurally keyhole slotted plate forming a part of the secant face of the heel part, the keyhole slots having their narrow portions at their upper ends, and so arranged that when the headed pins are in the lower wider ends of the slots, the resilient plunger will abut against a portion of the heel part plate, and so that when the headed pins are in the upper narrower ends of the slots the plunger will wedge into the wider end of one of the slots to prevent relative movement between the pins and the heel part plate,

3. A last heel part having a metallic frame comprising a heel plate and a forepart bonding plate angularly formed of a single piece of metal, a flanged collar integrally fastened to the heel plate, a thimble having a close driving fit in said collar, and a body molded on said frame. 4. A last heel part comprising a metallic frame having aheel plate, a thimble and a forepart bonding plate, all integrally fastened together, and a body portion molded on said frame.

'5. A last heel partrframe formed of an integral obtuse-angled heel plate and forepart bonding member, the bonding member being provided with a plurality of keyhole slots one above the other and with a number of rearwardly projecting lugs, and a thimble rigidly attached to the heel plate.

JOHN B. HADAWAY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,054,935. September 22, 1936.

JOHN B. HADAWAY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 23, claim 1, before the word "pins" insert headed; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed. this 5th day of January, A. D. 1937.

(Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

